<strong>Smart</strong> Business Metaverse Metaverse No Time for Fun and Games For years, the great virtual reality (VR) breakthrough has been expected but it looks as though it didn’t even happen during the pandemic – at least, not in the private sector. But the technology is becoming a great success within many industrial companies. n By Rainer Claaßen 24
Whether it’s Sony PlayStation VR, Google Glass or cardboard mounts that can turn any smartphone into a virtual reality (VR) machine, none of these products has brought the promised commercial breakthrough. In fact, some products appear to have stalled completely. Though one might conclude from this that the high hopes many had in these technologies have been dashed, it isn’t necessarily so, because new technologies often reach the mainstream in unexpected ways. The pandemic has wrought a change and VR is finding new applications in business. No longer restricted to a few lighthouse projects from huge companies, the technology has become more versatile, less expensive and much easier to access and many companies have started using VR and will expand its uses in the years to come. In a virtual reality simulation, users move around in an artificial world, largely disconnected from reality, with the help of technical tools. The immersion is most convincing when VR headsets are used. They are not absolutely necessary, because a lot of content can also be played back on a smartphone or tablet. These viewers become a window into an artificial world. Virtual reality differs from augmented reality (AR) where additional information or media is blended with a real-world, camerasourced image. Artificial Worlds There are two basic ways in which VR experiences can be produced: by developing a virtual world in software from scratch or photographically. Programming an environment can be time consuming and expensive but taking photos and videos that capture an all-round view offers a quicker and easier solution. Cameras like the Ricoh Theta or the Insta 360 are available for just a few hundred euros, deliver surprisingly good quality and are almost as easy to operate as conventional cameras. A typical application scenario is in in- source ©: De:central Days Playing it Serious It’s no secret that many professional soccer players are also keen users of game consoles. They are using VR technology to get better training and many premier league clubs are choosing tools from sports technology company Rezzil. Rezzil’s system allows professional players to hone different skills, especially headers. Heading a ball is a health risk, so it is often avoided in training. Being dustrial workplaces where complex processes need to be permanently in operation. Until now, they have usually been shut down, or run at reduced speed, to train new employees. The time spent on this familiarisation can be drastically reduced with the help of VR. Companies can now create VR applications very quickly without the need for external support. Sara Boss Head of Sales at VRdirect able to practice without any danger gives teams a big advantage on match day. In addition, with full-body tracking and methods to analyse cognitive characteristics, like scanning, decision making and pressure coping, the technology helps to improve their general gameplay. It can also be useful in injury rehabilitation when training on the field is not possible. Virtual Training VR technology can help professional soccer players hone their skills, for instance headers, without risk of injury. Sara Boss, head of sales at VRdirect, explains, "Without having to spend a large budget on it, companies can now create VR applications themselves very quickly and without the need for external support. This option is often used for training purposes in particular." The background for the experience is a video or photo shot from the perspective of an employee at the workspace. A trainee can use this to get an overview of the entire environment without having to actually enter the workplace. "The ability to give people an authentic impression of a workplace without much effort is already enormously helpful. This effect is further enhanced by the inclusion of additional media content," says Boss. VRDirect offers a platform through which companies can access the virtual infrastructure. Any file 25 source ©: Rezzil, Google LLC
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